America's Only Hope
2 Chronicles 7:14
Today July 4th ... Independence Day! We celebrate the 245th birthday of our nation.
Turn to the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles chapter 7.
Prayer-
Illustration-
Years ago one of our American submarines sank off the eastern coast. Divers attempted to rescue them and when they went down, they could hear the survivors tapping on the side of that submarine in Morse Code. They were tapping a question: ''Is there any hope? Is there any hope?'' And that same question is being asked today across America: ''Is there any hope?''
I believe there is and that hope rest entirely on Jesus Christ… and what we do with Jesus as a nation and as believers.
We forget that this nation was founded on Christian beliefs and we forget that we had to break away from the world power of Great Britain and that God was with them as they set out to break free as a new nation and as a people who wanted to freely worship God.
I want to show you from God's Word that there is hope for America!
Regardless of what's being written and taught today ... We are the only nation on earth built upon the Christian faith! I know we have a long way to go with justice and some changes, but there are some things that cannot change if we want to continue to see God bless and keep this nation safe under God.
President George Washington said, ''It would be impossible to govern rightly without God and the Bible.''
President John Adams said, ''It would be impossible to govern without God and the Ten Commandments.''
The Pilgrim Charter of 1620 states that its purpose was ''to advance the enlargement of the Christian religion to the glory of God Almighty.'' Before the Pilgrims arrived on our shores they gathered below the deck of the Mayflower and signed the Mayflower Compact which revealed their intent: ''for the glory of God.”
Andrew Jackson ...The 7th President said, ''The Bible is the rock upon which our Republic rest.''
Listen,
It is impossible to live godly without governing by the laws of God that are found in the Bible.
It is impossible to see God blessing when He is not allowed to govern, when His Word and His commandments are not lived out in our lives.
The Pilgrims left Great Britain and journeyed here to see God do great things and for us to do great things for God.
The odds of that happening without God would be impossible.
It was the story of David and Goliath all over again. It took supernatural intervention for what is now America to experience freedom.
The last sentence of the Declaration of Independence signed 245years ago today says,
''For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance upon the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.'' Eight days after signing the Declaration of Independence ... printed on the side of the Liberty Bell was a quote from Leviticus 25.10, ''Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.''
Listen to part of the fourth verse of the ''Star Spangled Banner'' ... our National anthem that Congress adopted in 1931, ''Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation, then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto, in God is our trust.''
It is a prayer of praise to almighty God!
If you're going to take prayer out of school, you have to remove our national anthem because it is a prayer to God!
God has blessed America because she was founded upon the promises and principles of the Word of God!
Don't let a group far from God tell you that America did not have a spiritual beginning!
America was born out of a revival! Patrick Henry, a patriot of our country said, ''It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
'' No wonder God has so richly blessed America.
The text this morning is Solomon’s building and dedication of the Temple to God Almighty! Chapter 7 verse one says that when Solomon finished praying fire came down and consumed the burnt offering and the glory of God filled the Temple! (Get your praise on!)
The Israelites seeing the power of God manifested fell on their knees and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord.
I think there should be more praising and less complaining and we would see the glory of God working in our lives.
King Solomon offered one giant sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 150,000 sheep and goats up to Yahweh.
The priest took their positions and led the people of God.
They began playing instruments and began to worship the Lord.
They consecrated themselves before God
They gave thanks and shouted His love endures forever!
From the King on down the people worshipped and gave praise unto God!
To be free to do what you want is not freedom, it is actually bondage and it will destroy you and the generations that follow you.
Freedom that saves and freedom that lasts is to be within the boundaries of a God pouring out His blessing and wanting to have a relationship with His people.
I have heard your prayers Solomon and I chose this place to dwell and make my presence available to you!
I have heard your prayer____put your name here, and I chose to dwell and make my presence known to you if you will let me.
We want the freedom to be able to live in a country and not be controlled by a dictator or made a slave to the actions of others, but we do not want to experience the freedom that comes directly and only by the Lord Himself.
We live in a blessed nation that has one freedom because our men and women who fought for it for us to enjoy and the other freedom is available to all for the asking because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. The sacrificial gift of freedom by God Himself.
America is sick and America needs to be brought back under the Lordship of Christ.
“One nation under God” needs to be more than just our pledge of allegiance- it needs to be our allegiance to God.
We need to stop aborting our babies.
We need to stop redefining marriage.
The same freedom that allows people to protest against God’s commandments gives me the same freedom to proclaim it and stand on it! After Solomon built the temple, he dedicated the temple to God. God accepted the sacrifice and fire fell down on the altar of God. Solomon then consecrated himself to God.
God will show up when we his people are consecrated and living out his principals and commandments.
2 Chronicles 7:11-16 read clearly
It is one thing to live in a country free and it is another to be free in Christ no matter where you are hanging your hat and calling home.
I have heard your prayers and I have shown up! My presence changes everything!
We live in a free nation- at least at this moment! But if you want spiritual freedom and the presence of God, He directs us to His very words- “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Humble yourself or stumble yourself- We need our nation to be independent from other dictators, but spiritually we need to be dependent on God- we were once independent of God and that is not working out so well for us- we need to be dependent on God Almighty!
We need to be a praying people- not just talking about it. Not just letting the preacher and few people bending a knee to God, we need to be praying people thanking God for what He has done already and asking Him to heal this land that is far from God.
Seek His face- when God shows up go after him and seek Him with all of your heart the Bible tells us. Seeking is the conscious effort to find God.—To constantly set our minds toward God in all our experiences, to direct our minds and hearts toward him through the means of his revelation. (Ways that He speaks to us) Do we seek with that intensity? Do we make a constant effort to know Him? To set our minds and our hearts to the things of God?
Will we turn from our wicked ways to experience God with His forgiveness and His healing? What temple on this side of the cross is referenced here by Solomon’s obedience? The dwelling place of God- in our heart and soul! I have consecrated this temple that my name will be there forever!
Just like the covenant God made with Solomon’s dad David-“if you turn away and forsake the degrees and commands I have given you and go off and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.
Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple? People will answer, because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshipping and serving them- this is why he brought all this disaster on them.”
They say there are no absolutes- here is one-Jesus is an absolute. Jesus said in John 14.6, ''I am the way and the truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.''
Back to the opening phrase- is there any hope? Yes! I believe there is because God says there is-It is in Jesus Christ.
Now I believe what God said to Solomon and to the nation of Israel, that God is saying to America today. I believe that America's hope is meeting in buildings like these today! And that hope rests with the same kind of people that God used to establish this country years ago!
A Certain People. ''If My people who are called by My Name.''
America's Only Hope rests with a certain people! God has a people!
The Bible says in Titus 2.14, ''Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.''
America's Only Hope is in the hands of ''His own special people.''
The solution to the problems that America faces today won't be found in the White House, it is found in the Church House. ''If My people who are called by My name.''
We are great at blaming each other and not taking responsibility ourselves. It is this person, that person, this political party.
For America to survive, the church must be revived!
(2)A CONDITIONAL PROMISE. Did you notice that verse 14 begins with the word ''if.'' God says, ''if you'll do this then I'll do this.'' Do you see it? Now God gives us many promises throughout His word, and the majority of His promises are conditional. God says that if you confess your sin that I will forgive your sin.''
Leonard Ravenhill said, ''The church is dying on its feet because it's not living on its knees.''
We're looking for solutions in all the wrong places.
Closing-
I think we would all agree that America is in trouble- we would all like to see changes and we would like to see people draw closer to God. If that is not your heart, then you must check your heart because that should be the heart of every believer. We usually are looking for someone else to find a way, make a path, start revival, but what if God is calling each of us to be the start, the flame that starts the altars of God burning where God has us. What if you truly believed that right where God has you now is for a special task and for a purpose right now? What if you are the match that ignites revival? What if Rosedale is one of the churches He uses? Would you want to be a part of something bigger than just ourselves? I cannot give up on this country because I would have to give up on my God doing something extra-ordinary.
Let’s pray-
